Ned's 'favor'
by izzyglobe
Summary: Ned is asked for a favor. Maybe he should have refused, but what is a nice guy to do? Especially, when he is feeling ignored by a certain someone.
1. Chapter 1

'There she goes.' Thought Ned Nickerson wistfully. His tall frame slouched dejectedly as he watched the infamous Nancy Drew cruise past him in her powder blue roadster. Bess and George were laughing in the car with her. 

'She didn't even see me, and to think, we are supposed to be dating.' Shoulders hunched, he continued on his walk through downtown River Heights.

Emerson University, where he attended school, was out on Spring Break. Ned had hoped he would be able to spend some time with his girlfriend before classes started again on Monday. Almost an entire week went by without even one date! He should have realized she would be too busy to see him. If she wasn't galavanting around town solving mysteries (which, Ned had to admit, he enjoyed helping her solve) she was involved with something else. Rarely, did she have time for him.

Normally, Ned was a very understanding guy. He knew Nancy was percocious, and filled with an adventuresome spirit. That is what he liked about her. Only, he was starting to feel neglected. Almost every date he planned, she broke, and she was never truly apologetic about doing so. Ned was beginning to wonder if she took their relationship as seriously as he did.

'Hey, Ned!' a shout from across the street brought Ned out of his silent musings. Blinking, he glanced up at the tallest building in River Heigths and grimaced. Nancy's father's law firm stood as solid and imposing as Carson Drew himself. Ned wished Mr. Drew would take a heavier hand with his daughter, and put a stop to her galavanting all over town; doing who knew what. His attention quickly went to the young man running up to him.

'Hi, Scott.' Ned mumbled. The other boy smiled, his short husky build mixed with red hair and freckles contrasted sharply with Ned's tall athletic good looks. Nontheless, if not best friends they had remained close aquaintences since grade school. Both attended Emerson University one town over.

Clapping Ned on the shoulder, Scott asked 'Nancy break another date?

Showing the first signs of anger, an uncharacteristic trait for the young college student, Ned gestured negatively with his hands. 'That's just it! I haven't seen her, accept in passing, for almost the entire spring break!'

Scott nodded sympathetically. He couldn't understand why his friend put up with this drama. Yes, Nancy was attractive. Yes, she came from a wealthy, influential family. Only, she had the nasty habit of being, in his opinion, a busy body. A trait he could do without in the opposite sex.

Ned, of course, saw matters differently. He considered Nancy to be the yin to his yang. He considered the qualities Scott found annoying to be cute and endearing. Apparently, those very same qualities were beginning to chafe at the old boyfriend's bit.

Which brought Scott to the question he wanted to ask his friend. Apparently, his timing couldn't have been better. Taking a deep breath, he started off with, 'I have a favor to ask of you...'

Ned stared at Scott dubiously. Stuffing his hands in the back pockets of his tan slacks he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet while biting his lower lip.

'If I remember correctly you owe me several favors. Consider this payment in full.' Scott added before Ned could make an excuse.

Ned's head jerked up. ' That's low.'

Scott was beginning to feel exasperated. Ned was a really good guy. He didn't like seeing him turn loopy over a girl. Scott plunged ahead, 'Look! I'm not asking you to cheat on Nancy. Think of it as being a chaperone. Lacey won't go on a date with me unless she can bring a friend, and we all know that three is a crowd.' Scott ended that last statement with a wink and a nudge.

Frowning, Ned glared at Scott for a couple of seconds. He was obviously wasn't pleased with the innuendos Scott left hanging between them. Ned lived by the gentleman's code of conduct. It wasn't just his soft curly brown hair or his big brown eyes that girls found so attractive, it was how he treated them that really got their attention.

'Fine. I'll do it. Make sure they know before hand that it is NOT a double date!' Feeling like a philanderer, Ned stalked off leaving Scott grinning behind him.

Scott watched Ned walk in to the local music shop before turning around and running home. He couldn't wait to call Lacey with the good news. Ned Nickerson agreed to a double date!


	2. Chapter 2

'How am I going to pull this off? Ned thought gloomily to himself. 'I really don't have any interest in going, but I did promise Scott I would.' Straightening his red tie, he considered himself in the mirror. His thick brown curls lay neatly, and his chin was clean shaven. 

Making sure his shirt was tucked in straight, he stopped, appalled with himself. 'Why am I even trying?' He coaxed the mirror. Staring back at himself, he shrugged, what's done is done. Grabbing his jacket, he prepared mentally for an uncomfortable evening.

Scott was just pulling in the driveway as Ned was closing the door and locking it. His parent's (James and Edith Nickerson) were playing bridge at the Evan's house. Ned suddenly wished he were spending a quiet night at home. Maybe giving Nancy a call to see is she was involved in anything unusual: like investigating the odd diapperance of the neighbor's barking dog.

Giving himself a mental slap, Ned berrated himself for being so insecure. Nancy never complained when he had to study or when he was busy with football practice.

Scott cheerfully gave Ned a hearty hello, and quickly put the car in reverse. Ned looked ready to change his mind about the whole arrangement, and Scott had gone through too much trouble to have Ned suddenly change his mind about the 'date.' Hopefully, his hard work wouldn't be a waste of time, and Ned would realize there were other girls who would treat him the way he should be treated.

Nancy took Ned for granted. He bailed her out of more predicaments than Scott could list. If it wasn't for Ned, Nancy would probably still be locked behind someone's bookcase searching for a silly 'clue.' Besides, Scott found great satisfaction in the prospect of showing Ned there was a lot more to life than sitting on the sidelines waiting for the coach to take your game seriously.

'Luigi's Italian Restaraunt' was a very popular place with the local college crowd. Scott led Ned inside. Immediately, he found their dates sitting comfortably together in the lounge.

Lacey was the first to notice them walking over to where they sat. She stood with an enthusiastic wave, and beckoned them with a cotton handkerchief. Her black hair was expertly coifed and she wore a small mink stole around her shoulders. Her companion stood more slowly and with less enthusiasm. Ned nearly tripped over his feet when he saw who it was...


	3. Chapter 3

'Helen Corning?' Ned said in disbelief. 

'Ned Nickerson?' Helen gasped, her right hand fanning her throat while looking ready to faint.

Grabbing Helen's elbow, Ned lowered her onto the bar stool while at the same time fumbled for the glass of water he saw the bartender sit in front of them on the table. Holding the glass steady, as she took a couple of sips, Ned tried to gather his thoughts.

'Didn't Nancy say you were vacationing in Europe for Spring Break?' Ned asked quietly.

Shaking her head, Helen appeared to be having difficulty forming her thoughts into words. After awhile, she said. 'I had to come back early.' Offering no other explanation, she slumped against Ned's chest.

Scott and Lacey stood quietly off to the side. They both wore confused expressions, and neither of them knew quite what to do. Finally, Scott swore under his breath causing Lacey to nudge him hard in the ribs.

Looking somewhat admonished, Scott broke the silence with, 'You know each other?'

Both Helen and Ned started to talk. Each tripping over the other's words. Helen giggled and Ned blushed. After a short pause, Ned said. 'Helen dates my roommate Buck Rodman,' adding as an afterthought, 'She is also really good chums with Nancy.'

Scott gave Helen a double take,'Your _that_ Helen?'

Lacey stood mute. She didn't really understanding the weird vibes she was feeling from her companions. Moving closer to Scott, she rested her head on his shoulder content to let current events unfold without being an active participant.

At that moment, a waiter delicately cleared his throat and gestured with one hand for the group follow him as he started to lead the way into the dining room Scott and Lacey a few steps behind.

Ned hung back with Helen. He bent his head close to her ear and whispered, 'I don't understand? Why was your trip to Europe cut short?'

Jumping at the sound of Ned's voice, Helen ducked her head pretending to fiddle with her ear ring. After a few seconds, she whispered in reply 'We'll talk later.'


	4. Chapter 4

After a delicious dinner, Scott and Lacey excused themselves feigning fatigue, leaving Ned and Helen to themselves for the rest of the evening. Once they were gone, Helen lapsed into silence; gone was the laughing girl regaling her companions with stories of her travels abroad. 

Ned watched her over the flickering light of the candle set neatly in the middle of the small round table. He had always considered her very attractive, not as attractive as Nancy of course, but pretty. She had an aristrocratic beauty while Nancy was more of an all-American girl.

One would think the differences between the two girls would cause them to not be as close as they were, but in truth, it was their differences that drew them together.

Nancy was out-going, brash, and found trouble wherever she went while Helen was more reserved and cautious. Nancy took Helen on adventures while Helen was Nancy's voice of reason. Helen liked social gatherings and would often invite Nancy along. Nancy had once confided in Ned that Helen had spoken in her defense after two nasty girls from their school had been extremely rude to her. Nancy never forgot it.

'You know,' Ned began cautiously,' Nancy says that I am a terrific problem solver. Maybe I could help you?' Ned ended with an encouraging smile.

Helen bit her lower lip, a habit Ned found embarrassingly distracting, before saying with a bit of reluctance, 'Buck sent me a telegram. In it he mentioned having to drop out of Emerson because his father couldn't pay the tuition. I haven't heard from him since.'

This was news to Ned. Buck Rodman was his college roommate, and the captain of their football team. He was sure Buck would have told him if he wouldn't be returning after Spring Break! Ned reflected on his burly friend. Something didn't seem quite right.

Leaning toward Helen, his forearms crossed on top of the table, Ned asked.'Do you still have the wire?'

Blinking, Helen focused on Ned's face, her eyes glistened with tears. She was obviously upset that her boyfriend hadn't confided in her in person and instead had sent an impersonal letter to her across the ocean, that she didn't seem to understand what Ned was asking.

Repeating himself Ned said. 'The letter? Do you have it?

Dabbing her eyes with the restaurant's napkin, Helen shook her head. 'I crumpled it up after I read it and tossed it in the garbage.' Quiet for a moment she asked 'Should I have kept it? I was so distraught...'

Waving his hand to say it probably wasn't anything important, Ned was in fact worried that it might have been a valuable clue. They might have been able to trace it back to the place it was sent from, and from there make sure it had been Buck who had sent it to Helen in Europe and not an imposter.

Eyes widening, Ned realized at that moment, how much he was behaving like Nancy. If only she could see him now!

'Ned?' said an achingly familiar voice behind him.


	5. Chapter 5

Ned turned slowly around in his chair. Standing behind him with her arms crossed over her chest was Nancy Drew. Her blond hair shaped her lovely face in a flattering array of perfectly styled curls laying neatly against her head. Her dress matched the blue of her eyes, and she clutched a small white purse. She looked immaculate. Odd how she could look so prim and proper, and yet, didn't mind breaking into an occassional abandoned estate. 

Ned took on a pose of what he hoped appeared to be calm, cool, and collected. He heard Helen sniffle at his back, but kept his eyes on Nancy willing her with his puppy brown eyes to trust him completely; nothing suspicious going on here. A tactic he had never considered using before tonight. Gee, he was considering a lot of things tonight he hadn't before. Not allowing himself to delve too deeply into the ramifications, if any, of this thought process he watched as Nancy's eyes darted to him to Helen then back to him again. He could tell she was considering many possibilities on the how and why he and Helen were alone in a dimly lit restaurant late in the evening.

Nancy's attention settled on her best chum. With an exclamation of concern she ran over to her friend's side and put an arm around her shoulders. Ned heard Nancy gently consoling her, listening with a sensitive ear as Helen told her about Buck.

With her usual astuteness Nancy murmured,'How strange?' Looking at Ned she frowned her voice thoughtful as she said,'A lot of strange coincidences this evening.'

Ned fiddled with the silverwear turning the dessert fork over and over until both girls demanded he stop. Grimacing, Ned couldn't quite meet Nancy's eyes. 'What was she thinking?' Ned wondered to himself.

Nancy's attention turned back to Helen; taking the seat next to her friend she took Helen's hand in her own and said,'We will get to the bottom of this.'

**Part Six**

'You can't remember where the wire was sent from?' Asked Nancy as Helen took a bite of chocloate cake. The dessert seemed to ease Helen's mood, and she seemed a bit more relaxed.

'No. Is it imprortant?' Helen asked, dabbing the corner of her mouth with a napkin. She had finished the cake, and was waiting for the waiter to remove the dishes. She moved the empty plate a fraction of an inch closer to the edge of the table her signal to the waiter she was done.

Ned had taken a backseat the moment Nancy arrived. She had swiftly and efficently steered the conversation to matters she considered relevant to the case at hand and he would, of course, follow her lead. Not that it bothered him all that much.

'Helen, go home and rest. Tomorrow we will visit the Rodman's. I'm sure everything will be explained once we arrive.' Nancy patted Helen's hand with her gloved one, smiled reassuringly, and then stood up.

Helen stood a bit more slowly. She seemed about ready to say something, but at the last minute changed her mind. Instead she asked,'Where do you want to meet?'

'Ned and I will pick you up.' Nancy said as she guided Helen out of the dining room, and then out into the cool night air.

Hailing a taxi, Nancy spoke quickly to the driver, handed him a few bills, and then ushered Helen into the backseat. 'Expect us bright and early.' The taxi sped off with a very bewildered Helen leaning out the window.

Nancy stood for a moment watching the taxi turn the corner her back to Ned before she turned to face him an expression he had never seen before etched hard on her otherwise soft features. 'Was she jealous?', Ned wondered in awe.

Nancy was one of the most confident people he knew and to see that look on her face was akin to bizaar. Her stance was rigid, her hands clenched, and a frown bunched a small furrow between her brows. She seemed about ready to stalk off or slap him at the most.

'I received a call tonight,' she said tightly,'My housekeeper, Hannah, took the message since I wasn't home to answer it.'

Ned suddenly realized that Nancy showing up at 'Luigi's' hadn't been a coincidence after all. He started to say something, but she preempted him with a curt,'Scott told me you would be here with Helen.'

Ned's jaw dropped. Scott? It clicked. Ned felt used, betrayed, but most of all, he felt like a fool. He should have guessed Scott had some sort of ulterior motive for this double date fiasco he had arranged. Favor, indeed!

'Nancy, it's not what it looks like,' Ned began earnestly,'I was only doing him a favor. I told him to tell the girls it wasn't a date.' He held out his hands in a pleading gesture of understanding while doing his best to look innocent.

Ned noticed Nancy's shoulders loosen, and the frown disapper only to be replaced by a thoughtful gleam in her blue eyes as she said,'This means you owe me a favor, Ned Nickerson.'


	6. Chapter 6

Part 7

Ned Nickerson knocked on Nancy Drew's door. He glanced up at the third story windows of the impressive brick home, and prepared for a short wait. Hannah Gruen, the Drew's live-in housekeeper, answered the bell with a welcoming smile beckoning him in with a wave of her hand.

'Thank you, Ms. Gruen,' Ned politely said to the stout woman as he passed her into the entryway of the house.

'Always a pleasure Mr. Nickerson,' the housekeeper said pleasantly,' Nancy will be down shortly.'

Ned smiled. The woman had been with the Drew's ever since Nancy's mother died when she was ten. She was very fond of Nancy, and would occasionally over-step her bounds with the girl by complaining her behavior was, at times, unladylike, so therefore she was quite vocal about how Mr. Drew should handle his daughter. Carson Drew on the other hand was quite proud of Nancy's assertiveness and would more often than not take credit for her brash personality.

Ned stood looking at a picture of Nancy's mother (the woman looked like an older vision of her daughter) when he heard the distinct click of heels coming down the grand staircase; turning with a smile on his handsome face Ned's heart skipped a beat as it did almost every time he saw her.

Nancy strode down the stairs head held high with her hand lightly skimming the railing as she purposefully put one foot in the front of the other. She came to stand directly in front of Ned her cheek raised for a kiss when Ned hesitated she reached up and lightly touched her lips to the right side of his face then the left leaving Ned feeling weak in the knees.

'Ned,' Nancy said in greeting,' just let me fetch my bag.'

'You don't mind if I drive?' Ned asked surprise.

Nancy paused her hand hovering over her bag as she said, 'It will be a tight squeeze in the roadster.'

'Of course, I mean, I was just surprised is all.' Before he could further embarrass himself, he opened the door for Nancy and walked out shutting the door behind him with a non-intentional thud.

The day was not starting out as well as he had hoped. It appeared Nancy was still thinking about the night before, and it had not helped he had acted as if he had been caught doing something he should not have been doing. He had put Nancy in a position she was not accustomed to being in and she was still trying to process the information along with the weird vibes he had projected when she appeared in the restaurant last night. She had not told him what Scott had said, but he could only assume by how she was reacting to the whole situation that Scott had implied a tête-à-tête between him and Helen.

Part 8

The drive over to Helen Corning's was a quiet one neither Ned nor Nancy feeling the need to make idle conversation. Helen did not live too far from Nancy and in a matter of minutes; they were rolling up the long drive of the Corning mansion. Helen must have been waiting for them because she immediately came out the front door dressed much the same way as Nancy-smart and chic.

The girls greeted each other with a hug and Helen situated herself in the back of the car. Nancy half turned in her seat to say, 'How long ago was it that you received the wire from Buck?'

'Two days after spring break started. I spent two days in Paris with my mother before taking the train to the country. I got the letter when I returned to the Hotel on Monday,' Helen said looking thoughtful.

'You left for Europe before spring break, right?' Nancy asked, trying to clarify the timeline. 'This means the letter must have been sent right after you left for Europe.'

Helen seemed confused. 'Why didn't he confide in me in person? Maybe I could have helped?'

Ned was beginning to worry. Buck Rodman was his college roommate. He was also the captain of their football team. Buck would have mentioned if he would not be returning to Emerson University. Ned glanced at Nancy who was clutching her bag tightly in her lap and said, 'Nancy, we should go to the police or at least talk with your father see what he has to say about all this.'

Nancy bit her lower lip she seemed to be battling the urge to dive head first into waters that might be too deep even for her sleuthing skills. 'We should visit the Rodman's before we pull the fire alarm,' she said.

'Of course,' agreed Ned somewhat reluctantly.

Part 9

Ned sped through the dirty back roads with an ease and expertise that put Nancy's fast and reckless driving to shame. The group arrived at the Rodman's before lunch and quickly hopped out of the car eagerly anticipating a simple explanation for the odd telegram.

Nancy situated herself in front of Ned so she would be the one to knock on the door and greet the person who answered. Ned had raised his hand to ring the bell, but settled back to let Nancy shine. She was in her element after-all, and he did not want to make matters any tenser between them than they already were.

An elderly man with a thick graying mustache and butler tails opened the door with a somber, 'Yes?'

Dispensing with the pleasantries (though, she was polite) as Nancy often did while dealing with the help she said, 'I'm Nancy Drew,' and gesturing to either side of her she also introduced Ned and Helen before continuing, 'Is Master Buck available for visitors?'

The elderly butler raised an eyebrow looking them over with a critical eye then said, 'I do not expect the family home for quite some time, Miss Drew.' With those words, he closed the door. Nancy raised her arm to bang on the door again only Ned anticipated this reaction and caught it gently while shaking his head no. Nancy looked ready to argue but one looked at Ned's expression and she sighed heavily.

Ned watched Nancy closely; she stood quietly eyes glazed in thought while Helen was looking in all the windows on the ground floor of the Rodman estate and in the process of her snooping, snagged her skirt on a thorn from a beautiful rose bush. 'Oh darn!' she complained.

Nancy barely looked at her as she said, 'See anything interesting?'

'No, nothing,' Helen said dejectedly while trying to disentangle herself from the rose bush only succeeding in ripping her shirt along with her skirt, 'I want to go home.'

Nancy heard the pleading in Helen's voice, and turned to face her. Gasping, she ran over to her friend with an urgency she always seemed to possess in a crisis, though Ned failed to see the crisis in a couple of scratches from a few roses. Helen should have been more careful. Giving the two girls more than a casual glance, he realized why Nancy did not ask Helen to help her in her previous cases. Helen was not just a little loose with her tongue but she also was not much good in the field looking for clues either. Nancy liked to move fast and get her hands dirty; Helen was more of a social butterfly. It was amazing they were best buds.

Nancy put her arm around Helen's shoulder, and walked her to the car. Ned was sure he would be able to find out more from the old butler. Nancy lacked a certain amount of tact when it came to people of a class below her own. She was polite and cordial, but she did not have the patience Ned had. Excited about the prospect of stepping in to help Nancy out with a case, he rang the bell that hung above the door.

A short time later, the same man opened the door. He looked at Ned questioningly waiting for Ned to state his business. Ned smiled and said, 'I'm Ned Nickerson. Buck is my roommate at Emerson University. We were wondering when Buck would be available.'

Ned noticed a slight loosening of the man's shoulders, and a definite twitch of a smile on the man's face before he said, 'I'm sorry Master Nickerson the Rodman's are out of town, and will not return until after spring break.'

'When did they leave?' Ned asked.

The butler frowned in thought then said, 'I do believe it was a few days before classes were dismissed at the University. Is that all I can do for you, sir?'

'Yes, thank you,' Ned answered.

Ned stood in front of the Rodman's door longer than necessary after the butler had wished him a good day. Something seemed amiss. Ned was sure he had seen Buck shortly before leaving for spring break. He remembered his friend had stayed up late the night before classes were to end because he had been mending a piece of his football uniform. This was not to say it was not possible to have missed Buck during this time. Their schedules rarely coincided with the other, and there had been times when he only saw Buck on the field football field.

Nancy was waiting for him with an expectant look on her face. Smiling at her, Ned swaggered up to the car. Not caring if he looked like he caught the canary with the information he had learned. Sitting behind the wheel, he turned the car on and sped off back to town. Ned could tell Nancy wanted all the details, but he refrained from enlightening her until they dropped Helen back home.

Part 10

The moment Helen closed the door behind her; Nancy asked excitedly, 'Well, Ned, what did you find out?'

'Don't get your hopes up, Nancy. The butler said the family won't be back until after spring break and that Buck had left before classes were dismissed for the holiday,' Ned said simply.

'Buck is your roommate. Is this true?' Nancy asked a tad impatiently.

Ned regarded her with the first edges of annoyance clouding his otherwise top-notch opinion of her. What was happening? They needed to clear the air between them now. Since he had put himself in the situation he started by saying, 'Nancy, I apologize for Scott's inferences but he asked me for a favor and I agreed to be a chaperone for his date. Nothing else happened or was going to happen, I swear.'

Ned took Nancy's hands and smiled down at her. She had gone very quiet. He knew she must be thinking about the whole situation and how she did not want to be the one to bring it up. He thought he saw relief cross her face when he assured her nothing had happened between himself and Helen. He was not positive how much she believed of what Scott had told her, but if he knew Nancy, and he did then she had been trying to solve the connection the entire time, which would account for her attitude toward him.

'I'm sorry Ned,' Nancy whispered, 'I could not understand why Scott would say such things unless they were true. Why would he lie to me?'

'I feel just has betrayed as you Nancy. I figured Scott was a friend. We trust friends, right,' Ned said before asking, 'You trust me, Nancy, don't you?'

For the first time that day, Nancy looked directly into Ned's eyes and said,' Yes, I trust you.'

Ned wanted to whoop for joy! He had his Nancy back not the sulky girl who threw daggers in his direction every time she glanced at him.

Ned felt energized. He also felt guilty. Buck needed their help, and he was more concerned about how Nancy felt about him that he nearly forgot why they were sitting in Helen Corning's driveway. Backing the car out in to the street, Ned headed toward town. He and Nancy were going to talk with the only other person who would listen seriously to what a couple of kids had to say, Mr. Carson Drew one of the most respected attorneys in Rover Heights.


End file.
